A small mistake can cost lives.
History knows many cases when typos changed not only the meaning of the words, but the fate of the people associated with it. And if some “ochepyatka” laughed the other, some had to pay with his life.
Geographical Atlas
In the early nineteenth century, the French geographer Malte-Brenne read texts to be printed in the Atlas. He noticed that the height of one of the mountain peaks did not correspond to reality. Instead of 3,600 feet was only 36 feet. On the sidelines of the geographer made a note to correct. When the text was reprinted, malt-Brenna noticed that now to the real height added extra zeros (now it’s been 36 000 ft).
Angered by the geographer again corrected the figure and sent a satin with a print shop. He almost choked with anger when I saw the new issue the number was 36 million. Unable to stand, malt Brenne wrote: “the 36 million donkeys! The height of the mountain – 3600 ft.” Printing worker again realized the edit in his own way and decided to add creativity to the text. In the end, in the final version of the geographical Atlas was written that the mountain peak rises above 36 000 000 ft. And it has a plateau, where grazing 36 thousand mountain donkeys.
The fatal letter “l”
For just one missing letter lost his life the entire staff of the newspaper “Pravda Vostoka”. In the issue of October 25, 1944 he published a translation of the letter from the Yugoslav political figure Josip Broz Tito to Joseph Stalin. In the address of “the Chief” missed letter “l”.
Circulation hastily withdrew, and the paper’s staff was shot. The NKVD found only 6 copies of the newspaper. One of them many years later released a collector.
Napoleon III
When the French throne the nephew of Napoleon, Louis Bonaparte, he decided to take the name of the famous relative. The day before the coronation was involved all the publishing houses in the city below through the French became aware of a new king. In the beginning of the text was the exclamation: “long live Napoleon!!!” Coder flyers realized the manuscript in his own way and instead of exclamation marks he put the Roman numeral “III”.
Because of this typo, Louis Napoleon became Napoleon III, although history does not know of Napoleon II. Later it was a misunderstanding tried to disguise, speaking of the son of Napoleon, that it was possible to calculate the Second, if he survived.
“Sold by a woman…”
Classic French blunders can be called an announcement, printed in the late nineteenth century. It was about the rent of the farm (ferme). However, the letter “r” is randomly replaced by “m” get the word “femme”, i.e. “woman”. Now the ad was: “for Sale or for rent: a beautiful woman; with proper treatment very productive”.
A typo in Odessa
During the Russian Empire in one of the Odessa Newspapers dealt with the coronation of the Emperor: “the Metropolitan placed on the head of His Imperial Majesty Raven.” In the next issue the editor of the newspaper decided to clarify. In the amended version stated: “In the previous issue of our newspaper, in a report on the sacred coronation of Their Imperial Majesties, crept unfortunate typo. Published: “the Metropolitan placed on the head of His Imperial Majesty crow” — read: “the cow.”
Lasted 100 thousand miles
In the USSR was printed many laudatory articles about the achievements of ordinary citizens. So, the whole country is famous drivers Andrew Kostylev. As many as 100, 000 kilometers, he is hitting without incident. Unfortunate mistake in the article title made everyone laugh at the trucker. The word “limit” rearranged the letters, and went: “100 thousand kilometers – not perdel!”
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